Wrapping roll adjustment for a strip coiling machine

ABSTRACT

A strip coiling machine is disclosed comprising a frame, a mandrel rotatably supported for receiving sheet metal to be coiled thereon, and pairs of rotatable wrapper rolls parallel to the mandrel and cooperable therewith to form the inital wraps of a coil of sheet metal on the mandrel. Each pair of wrapper rolls is supported by a carriage movable transversely of the mandrel axis, and the wrapper rolls each have opposite ends independently supported with respect to the corresponding carriage for adjustment of the position of the opposite ends of the wrapper roll relative to the mandrel. The adjustable support provides for aligning, or intentionally misaligning the mandrel and wrapper roll axes. The mechanism further includes apron members mounted on the carriage and pivotal relative to the mandrel for cooperation with the wrapper rolls and mandrel to form the initial wraps of a coil. The pivot axes of the aprons are adjustable relative to the corresponding carriage to provide for adjustment of the apron face relative to the outer surface of the mandrel.

United States Patent 1191 Gross Aug. 13, 1974 WRAPPING ROLL ADJUSTMENT FOR A STRIP COILING MACHINE [57 ABSTRACT [75] Inventor: John Gross, Salem, Ohio A strip coiling machine is disclosed comprising a 7 Assign; n & western Manufacturing frame, a mandrel rotatably supported for rece1vmg Company, New York y sheet metal to be coiled thereon, and pairs of rotatable wrapper rolls parallel to the mandrel and cooper- [22] Flledi 7, 1973 able therewith to form the inital wraps of a coil of [21] APPL 57 sheet metal on the mandrel. Each pair of wrapper rolls is supported by a carriage movable transversely of the mandrel axis, and the wrapper rolls each have oppo- US. ite ends independently supported respect to the u I s I n n u u I a e I e s s s u n a e [58] Fleld of Search 72/155, 146, 148, 157, of the opposite ends of the wrapper roll relative to the 783 mandrel. The adjustable support provides for aligning,

v or intentionally misaligning the mandrel and wrapper References Cited roll axes. The mechanism further includes apron mem- UNITED STATES PATENTS bers mounted on the carriage and pivotal relative to 2,325,559 7/1943 Washam 72/148 the mandrel for Cooperation with the pp r0115 2,693,919 11/1954 Wutscher 72/155 a an to form the i i i wraps of a coil- The 2,756,942 7/ 1956 Sieger 72/155 pivot axes of the aprons are adjustable relative to the 2,990,129 6/1961 Russell 72/155 corresponding carriage to provide for adjustment of I62 I I I4 I I66 the apron face relative to the outer surface of the mandrel.

19 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PATENIEDAUB 1 3mm saw our 13 PAIEN {5 AUG 3 m4 SREU 03 M13 PATENIED AUG I 31974 sum ion or 13 PATENTEU ms 1 sum SHEEI 05 0F 13 PATENTED m 31974 sum 01 M13 J57 so PATENTED mu 1 3 1914 saw oaor13 PATENTED AUG 1 3mm SHEET FiG. l3

PATENTED US I 31974 SHEET 110F 13 PAIENHDAUBIBIQH 8.828.598

SWEET 13 0F 13 WRAPPING ROLL ADJUSTMENT FOR A STRI COILING MACHINE The present invention relates to the art of material handling and, more particularly, to apparatus for coiling sheet metal on a mandrel.

Sheet metal coiling apparatus has been provided heretofore which includes a rotatable mandrel onto which the sheet metal is to be coiled and one or more wrapper rolls disposed adjacent the mandrel and coop- 1 erable therewith to form the initial wraps of the sheet metal on the mandrel. The axes of the mandrel and wrapper rolls are generally parallel, and the wrapper rolls are displaceable relative to the mandrel. More particularly, the wrapper rolls are adapted to be initially positioned adjacent the mandrel in cooperable relationship therewith to achieve the forming of the initial wraps of sheet metal on the mandrel. Thereafter the wrapper rolls are moved away from the mandrel to permit the coiling of adesired diameter of sheet metal on the mandrel. I i

In coiling apparatus of the foregoing character, the result sought is a tight, well formed coil having generally straight, parallel sides extending perpendicular to the mandrel axis and in which the sheet metal wraps and especially the initial wraps are free of telescoping relationship. For the apparatus to yield a well formed coil requires precise alignment between the wrapper roll and mandrel axes together with a desired spacing between the outer surfaces of the mandrel and wrapper roll.

The wrapper rolls are generally supported on a cone sponding frame or carriage which is movable toward and away from the mandrel in a direction transverse to the axis thereof to provide for positioning the wrapper roll relative to the mandrel. Heretofore, the opposite ends of the wrapper rolls, and according the axes thereof, were fixed relative to the corresponding carriage, whereby the displacement of the carriage toward and away from the mandrel provided the only means by which the wrapper roll could be positioned with respect to the mandrel. Accordingly, any matching and/or installation deviations from desired parameters could not be compensated for, and the desired precise alignment of the wrapper roll and mandrel axes could not be achieved. Moreover, the alignment of the mandrel and wrapper roll axes, being fixed, could not be adjusted to compensate for wrapper roll diameter variations in those mechanisms in which a plurality of wrapper rolls are employed. Still further, the fixed relationship between the axes of the mandrel and wrapper rolls negative the ability to intentionally misalign the axes, such as may be desired to eliminate or minimize telescoping of the initial wraps of the coil due to certain adverse coiling conditions encountered during use of the mechanism.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing disadvantages of sheet coiling apparatus heretofore known are advantageously overcome. in this respect, coiling apparatus is provided in which alignment of the mandrel and wrapper roll axes is adjustable to provide for precise parallel alignment thereof, or intentional misalignment thereof. Moreover. the adjustment capability enables the space between the outer surfaces of the mandrel and a wrapper roll to be adjusted to achieve a desired clearance therebetween. Still further, the adjustment capability provides for the individual adjustment of a plurality of wrapper rolls in a coiling mechanism so that the gap between each individual wrapping roll and the mandrel can be varied to provide a funnel effect for the leading end of the strip as it traverses around the circumference of the mandrel to form the initial wraps of the coil.

The foregoing advantages, and others, are achieved in accordance with the present invention regardless of whether the individual wrapper rolls are of the same or different diameters and, in this respect, the adjustment capability provides for compensating for wrapper roll diameter variation.

It will be appreciated, therefore, that alignment of the wrapper rolls and mandrel is not dependent upon the accuracy of manufactured parts and/or exactness of equipment installation. Due to the severe operating conditions to which a sheet metal coiling device is normally exposed, even precise initial alignment can be affected by slight deformation of parts and/or the shifting of foundations and equipment.

Sheet metal coiling apparatus also includes, generally, an apron member disposed adjacent the wrapper roll members. The apron member has an arcuate face corresponding generally in contour with the outer surface of the mandrel and disposed in spaced relationship with respect thereto to facilitate guidance of the leading end of a sheet metal strip. The apron members cooperate with the wrapper rolls and mandrel in the formation of the initial wraps and, generally, are supported for pivotal movement relative to the mandrel.

The pivotal movement of the apron member relative to the mandrel provides for positioning the apron relative to the mandrel during the formation of the inital wraps and then moving the apron away from the mandrel once the initial wraps have been formed. Heretofore, the position of the apron relative to the mandrel during operation of the coiling device has been fixed in that the pivot axis of the apron member was fixed relative to the carriage or frame on which it was mounted. Accordingly, any deviations from the desired positional relationship due to machining and/or installation variation from design parameters could not be compensated for. Further, there was no compensation for variations in the thickness of the sheet metal being coiled.

The foregoing disadvantages are overcome in accordance with the present invention by providing for the orientation of the apron support and/or operating mechanism to be adjustable. More particularly, the

pivot axis of the apron member is adjustable relative to the frame or carriage on which it is supported for pivotal movement. This facilitates adjustment of the apron face relative to the outer surface of the mandrel to accommodate different thicknesses of sheet metal and/or to achieve the funnel effect mentioned above. The apron is pivotally actuated by a pneumatic piston and cylinder device having its opposite ends pivotally interconnected one with the apron and the other with the carriage on which the apron is pivotally mounted. Achievement of the desired positional relationship between the apron and mandrel is further enhanced in accordance with the present invention by providing for the pivot axis at one end of the piston and cylinder device to be adjustable.

An outstanding object of the present invention is the provision of sheet metal coiling apparatus in which the positional relationship between a wrapper roll member and the mandrel of the apparatus can be adjusted.

Another object is the provision of coiling apparatus of the foregoing character wherein the position of a wrapper roll member with respect to the mandrel is adjustable to achieve a desired clearance therebetween.

Yet another object is the provision of apparatus of the foregoing character in which precise alignment, or intentional misalignment of the wrapper roll and mandrel axes can be obtained. I

A further object is the provision of apparatus of the foregoing character in which a wrapper roll is mounted on a supporting member in a manner which provides for adjusting the orientation of the wrapper roll axis relative to the support member and mandrel axis.

Still a further object is the provision of apparatus of the foregoing character in which the alignment of a wrapper roll relative to the mandrel is adjustable to permit compensation for machining and/or installation deviations from design parameters.

Yet another object is the provision of apparatus of the foregoing character in which each of a plurality of wrapper roll members is individually adjustable relative to the mandrel, whereby the clearance between each wrapper roll member and the mandrel is independently adjustable.

Still a further object is the provision of apparatus of the foregoing character in which the positional relationship of an apron guide member relative to the mandrel is adjustable.

Still another object is the provision of apparatus of the foregoing character in which a wrapper roll member and an apron guide member are independently adjustable relative to the mandrel to provide a desired clearance of each with'respect to the mandrel and with respect to one another.

The foregoing objects, and others will in part be obvious and in part pointed out more fully hereinafter in conjunction with the description of the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view ofa sheet metal coiling machine;

FIG. 2' is a plan view illustrating the drive arrangement for various components of the coiling machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the coiling machine looking in the direction of line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, in section, of the coiling machine illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, in section, of one of the coiling machine carriages and the wrapper roll assembly associated therewith;

- FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of one of the wrapper rolls of the wrapper roll assembly in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a component of the wrapper roll adjusting arrangement, the view being along line 7-7 in FIG; 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view through a portion of the carriage and a wrapper roll, the view being along line 88 in FIG. 5;

' FIG. 9 is a detailed view, in section, of the adjustable interconnection of an apron actuating cylinder and carriage, the view being along line 9-9 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a plan view, partially in section, of a carriage support and drive arrangement;

FIG. 11 is an end elevation view, partially in section, of the support and drive arrangement illustrated in FIG. 10, the section being along line l11l in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an elevational view, partially in section, of the wrapper roll assembly illustrated in FIG. 5, the view being along line 12l2 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 13 is an elevation view, in section, of the wrapper roll assembly and carriage illustrated in FIG. 5, the view being along line l3-13 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 14 is a detail sectional view of a bolt assembly for interconnecting the wrapper roll head and carriage, the view being along line l4l4 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a detailed sectional view of a wrapper roll head displacing mechanism, the view being along line l515 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is an elevational view of the carriage positioning jack, the view being along line 1616 in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the drive arrangement for the wrapper roll head;

FIG. 18 is an elevational view of jacks for supporting the wrapper roll drive shafts, the view being along line 1818 in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a sectional elevational view of the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 18, the section being along line 1919 in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an elevational view of a balance bar memi her for removing and replacing the wrapper roll assembly of the coiling machine; and,

FIG. 21 is an elevation view, partially in section, of the balance bar and wrapper roll assembly as viewed along line 2l21 in FIG. 20.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the invention, a sheet metal coiling machine is illustrated in FIGS. 14 which is of the character generally referred to as a down-coiler. The coiling machine is comprised, basically, of a main frame unit 10, a mandrel 12, a pair of wrapper roll assemblies 14, and carriages l6 slidable relative to the main frame and supporting a corresponding one of the wrapper roll assemblies for movement toward and away from the mandrel.

Main frame 10 is of fabricated steel construction having opposite sides 18 and 20 and opposite ends 22 and 24. Sides 18 and 20 are spaced apart to receive the operating components of the coiling machine therebetween, and openings, not designated numerically, are provided in the sidewalls to facilitate driving the mandrel and wrapper rolls from one side of the frame and removing the wrapper roll assemblies from the other side thereof, as set forth more fully hereinafter.

Mandrel 12 extends between sidewalls 18 and 20 and is supported within the main frame in cantilever fashion by a mandrel gear box mechanism 26 disposed outside wall 18 of the main frame. The mandrel is rotatable about an axis extending in the direction between sidewalls 18 and 20 and is rotated through mechanism 26 by a suitable drive motor arrangement 28.

Each wrapper roll assembly 14 is comprised of a supporting head 30, a pair of wrapper rolls 32 and a fixed guide element 34 between the corresponding pair of wrapper rolls 32. The wrapper rolls, as set forth more fully hereinafter, are rotatably supported by the head for rotation about axes generally parallel to the axis of mandrel l2, and each roll is driven by a corresponding shaft 36 and a corresponding drive motor unit 38 located outwardly of side 18 of main frame 10.

Each of the carriages 16 is supported by main frame for sliding movement in a direction transverse to the axis of-mandrel 12. Therefore, wrapper roll assemblies 14 are adapted to be positioned relative to mandrel 12 for cooperation therewith in forming the initial wraps of a metal sheet to be coiled on the mandrel and to be moved away from the mandrel after the initial wraps have been formed. Reciprocating movement is imparted'to the carriage by corresponding drive assemblies each of which is comprised of a plurality of air cylinders 37.

Each of the carriages 16 is provided with at least one apron guide member which is cooperable with wrapper rolls 32 and mandrel 12 in forming the initial wraps of the metal sheet on the mandrel. In the embodiment illustrated, the carriage on the left hand side of FIGS. 3 and 4 is provided with a lower apron assembly 40, and the carriage on the right hand side is provided with upper and lower apron assemblies 42 and 44, respectively. The apron assemblies include pivotal apron members and are mounted on the corresponding carriage for movement therewith toward and away from mandrel 12 as set forth more fully hereinafter.

The down-coiler machine further includes a pair of pinch rolls 46 and 48 driven by corresponding shaft and motor assemblies to feed a metal sheet S into the machine. One or more coiling machines may be provided in the path of movement of the metal sheet to be coiled, and driven conveyor rolls 50 extend across the top of main frame 10 to guide and convey the metal sheet past the coiling machine illustrated following the completion of a coiling operation on mandrel 12. A pivotal deflector gate 52 is disposed along the conveyor line and is movable to the position illustrated in FIG. 3 to achieve deflection of the end of the metal sheet downwardly into main frame 10. Guidance of the leading end of the metal sheet is also facilitated by a top throat guide member 54, a fixed throat guide member 56 and the apron member of apron assembly 41. It will be appreciated that if deflector member 52 is pivoted downwardly fromthe position illustrated in FIG. 3, the leading end of metal sheet S will bypass the coiling machine and be fed along the path defined by conveyor rolls 50.

It will be appreciated'from the foregoing description that when a metal sheet is 'to be coiled on mandrel 12 the leading end is deflected into the throat defined by guides 54 and 56 and apron assembly 42, whereby the leading end is guided toward the periphery of mandrel 12. At this time the wrapper rolls and guide members are positioned adjacent mandrel 12 so that the leading end of metal strip S progresses in a counterclockwise direction relative to the axis of mandrel l2. Mandrel 12 is driven in a counterclockwise direction and wrapper rolls 32 are driven clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing. The wrapper rolls 32, fixed guides 34 and the apron members of assemblies 40, 42 and 44 are positioned adjacent mandrel 12 for cooperation therewith in forming the initial wraps of the metal sheet around the mandrel. Once the initial wraps have been formed, carriages 16 are displaced in a direction away from mandrel 12 to provide the necessary space to enable completion of the wrapping of the metal sheet on the mandrel.

As mentioned hereinabove, carriage I6 is slidable toward and away from mandrel 12 to facilitate positioning of the corresponding wrapper rolls and apron member or members and fixed guide member relative to the mandrel. When the carriage is moved toward the mandrel by the corresponding air cylinders 37 the carriage is stopped, in a manner described more fully hereinafter, to position the corresponding wrapper rolls, fixed guide members and aprons in spaced relationship with respect to the outer surface of the mandrel to achieve the initial wrap forming operation. In accordance with the present invention, the position or orientation of a wrapper roll and/or apron member relative to the mandrel is adapted to be adjusted to increase the accuracy of the spaced relationship and/or alignment therebetween.

With regard first to adjustment of a wrapper roll relative to the mandrel, it will be seen in FIGS. 1 and 5 of the drawing that supporting head 30 of wrapper roll assembly 14 includes a vertical mounting plate 57 and a pair of arms 58 extending outwardly from locations adjacent the opposite ends thereof to support the corresponding wrapper rolls 32 for rotation relative to the supporting head. In the embodiment illustrated, the opposite end of each of the four wrapper rolls are supported in like manner with respect to arms 58 of the corresponding supporting head. Accordingly, only one such support arrangement will be discussed in detail. A preferred support arrangement is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 6-8 of the drawing. In this respect, support arm 58 is provided with an opening 60 adapted to receive the corresponding end of wrapper roll 32. The wrapper roll may be of any desired structure and, in the embodiment illustrated, includes a steel shaft 62 and a metal jacket 64 suitably secured thereto for rotation therewith. Opening 60 is circular and supports a bearing sleeve 66 having an axis 68. Bearing sleeve 66 has a circular opening 70 having an axis 72 which is eccentric with respect to axis 68. A spherical roller bearing assembly 74 is disposed in opening 70 in surrounding relationship with respect to the corresponding end of roller shaft 62, whereby wrapper roll 32 is supported for rotation about axis 72.

It will be appreciated that rotational displacement of bearing sleeve 66 about axis 68 will angularly displace axis 72 relative to axis 68, thus to vary the distance between axis 72 and the axis of mandrel 12. To achieve such angular displacement, bearing sleeve 66 is provided with an annular flange 76 overlying the outer face of arm 58. Flange 76 is provided about its periphery with a plurality of recesses 78 which are circumferentially spaced apart by interposed fingers 80. Further, flange 76 is provided with a plurality of openings through flange 76 adapted to receive threaded studs 82. Head arm 58 is provided with a plurality of threaded apertures adapted to receive the threaded shanks of studs 82. Thus, studs 82 and apertures 84 are cooperable to releasably maintain bearing sleeve 66 in a desired position relative to arm 58. A wedge shaped locator member 86 is secured to head arm 58 by a pair of threaded studs 88 and is provided with a nose portion 90 adapted to seat in a recess 78 in flange 76 of the bearing sleeve. Locator 86 is operable following an adjusting operation to align the openings in flange 76 with the threaded openings 84 in arm 58.

Adjustment of wrapper roll axis 72 is achieved in the following manner. Wedge 86 is first removed by removal of studs 88, and studs 82 are then removed. This frees bearing sleeve 66 for rotation relative to arm 58, and such rotation can be achieved by a suitable tool such as a spanner wrench. The bearing sleeve can be rotated in increments defined-by the circumferential distance between threaded openings 84 in arm 58. When the sleeve has been rotated to the extent desired so that the openings in flange 76 and arm 58 are substantially aligned, locator 86 is replaced. Replacement of the locator brings the openings in flange 76 and arm 58 into exact alignment so that studs 82 can be readily replaced to lock the bearing sleeve in the desired locatron.

It will be appreciated that the available degree of incremental angular displacement of axis 72 relative to xis 68can be varied as can the manner in which the degree of increments is defined. For example, incremental displacement can be defined by the circumferential spacing between adjacent openings in flange 76 for studs 82, or the distance between adjacent threaded apertures 84 in. arm 58. Accordingly, additional openings could be provided in flange 76 or, alternatively, additional threaded apertures 84 could be provided in arm 58 to increase the number of increments of displacement available for axis 72 relative to axis 68.

In the preferred embodiment, each of the opposite ends of each wrapper roll is independently adjustable in the manner described above, whereby either one or both ends of a wrapper roll can be manipulated to achieve the-desired alignment or misalignment between the wrapper roll and mandrel axes. While it is preferred that both ends of a wrapper roll be mounted relative to the corresponding head arm for adjustment in theforegoing manner, it will be appreciated that adjustment of the wrapper roll axis can be achieved with only one end of thewrapper roll so supported. The other end of the wrapper roll can be supported by a spherical bearing arrangement which will enable adjustment of the one end relative thereto and thus adjustment of the wrapper roll axis relative to the mandrel axis.

With regard .to adjustment of the apron assemblies relative to the mandrel, it will be seen in FIG. that upper apron assembly 42 includes a pivotally mounted guide member 92 and an actuating piston and cylinder assembly '94. Similarly, lower apron assembly 44 in-' cludes a pivotal apron member 96 and a piston and cylinder actuating mechanism 98. Each of the members 92 and 96 is pivotally mounted on the carriage and extends therefrom around the corresponding wrapper roll. Guide member 92 has an inner end 100, and apron member 96 has an inner end 102, which ends 100 and 102 are adapted to be disposed in closely spaced relationship with respect to mandrel 12 during the forming of the initial wraps of sheet metal thereon and cooperate with the mandrel and wrapper rolls in the forming of the initial wraps. The positioning of the apron member relative to the mandrel is achieved by the the corresponding piston and cylinder unit.

In the preferred embodiment, ends 100 and. 102 of the apron members are adapted to be positionally adjusted relative to the mandrel and/or adjacent wrapper roll to facilitate achieving a desired spacing therebetween. More particularly, the pivot axis of each of the members 92 and 96 is angularly adjustable relative to the carriage. Further, the cylinder components of the piston and cylinder units of the apron assemblies are pivotally mounted on the carriage and the pivot axes of the cylinders are also angularly adjustable relative to the carriage. A suitable arrangement by which the foregoing adjustments can be achieved is illustrated in FIGS. 5, 8 and 9 of the drawing.

The apron members of assemblies 40, 42 and 44 are mounted on the corresponding carriage 16 in like manner. Accordingly, only one mounting arrangement will be described in detail, namely that of apron assembly 44. With reference to FIGS. 5 and 8, carriage 16 is provided with apron support arms 104 having aligned openings 105 and bearings 107 for pivotally supporting an apron shaft 106. One or both ends of shaft 106 is provided with an end plate 108 rigidly secured thereto such as by welding, and end plate 108 is provided with a tool stud 1 10 which is cooperable with a suitable tool to facilitate rotation of shaft 106. End plate 108 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart apertures adapted to receive threaded studs 112, and the corresponding arm 104 of the carriage is provided with threaded recesses 114 to receive studs 112. Accordingly, the studs and recesses cooperate to retain shaft 106 against rotation relative to carriage arms 104. 9

Apron shaft 106 is pivotal relative to carriage arms 104 about an axis 116 and is provided intermediate its opposite ends with eccentric shaft portions 118, only one of which appears in FIG. 8. Each shaft portion 119 has an axis 120 which is offset with respect to axis 116. Apron member 96 is provided with arms 122, and each arm is pivotally interconnected with a corresponding shaft portion 118 for pivotal movement relative to axis 120. It will be appreciated that the number of apron arms 122 and accordingly the number of offset shaft portions 118 can vary depending on the length of the apron members. In the embodiment illustrated, each apron member is provided with a piar of arms 122, whereby shaft 106 is provided with two offset shaft portions 118. In any event, shaft portions 118 are rigid with respect to the remainder of shaft 106 and are in aligned offset relationship with respect to axis 116.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the angular position of pivot axis 120 of the-apron member relative to axis 116 of apron shaft 106 can be adjusted in increments by removing studs 112 and rotating shaft 106 by means of tool stud 110. It will be further appreciated that the degree of incremental angular adjustment is dependent upon the number and circumferential spacing of the stud openings in plate 108 and/or threaded recesses 114 in arm 104. It will be noted that adjustment of the angular position of axis 120 relative to axis 116 varies the positional relationship of the apron member relative to the mandrel and the adjacent wrapper roll when these components are in the positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawing.

As mentioned above, pivotal movement is imparted to the apron members by the corresponding one of the piston and cylinder units 94 and 98. Adjustment of the positional relationship of the apron members relative to mandrel l2 and the adjacent wrapper roll is further facilitated in accordance with the preferred embodiment by providing for the cylinder and piston units to be adjustable relative to carriage 16. The piston and cylinder units for'each apron member'may vary dimensionally but the mounting characteristics thereof are the same. Accordingly, only the mounting arrangement between piston and cylinder unit 98 and carriage 16 will be described in detail.

Referring to FIGS. and 9 of the drawing, piston and cylinder unit 98 includes a cylinder 124 which, in a well known manner, reciprocably supports a piston having a piston rod 126 extending from one end of the cylinder. The piston and cylinder unit preferably is air actuated and suitable controls, not illustrated, are provided for introducing operating fluid into .the cylinder to displace the piston and thus the piston rod in opposite directions to pivot apron member 96 about axis 120. In this respect, the outer end of piston rod 126 is pivotally interconnected with apron member 96, whereby reciprocating movement of the piston rod imparts pivotal movement to the apron member.

Carriage 16 is provided with support arms 128 which are disposed on opposite sides of cylinder 124..Each arm 128 is provided with a circular opening 130 adapted to receive a circular bearing block 132. Block 132 has an axis of rotation 134 with respect to support arm 128 and is provided with a circular opening 136 having an axis 138 offset with respect to axis 134. Cyl-' inder 124 is provided on diametrically opposite sides thereof with stud shafts 140 disposed in the corresponding bearing block opening 136. A bearing sleeve 142 is disposed between opening 136 and stud shaft 140 to pivotally supportcylinder 124 relative to carriage arms 128 for pivotal movement about axis 138.

In a manner similar to that described hereinabove with regard to the wrapper roll end supports, bearing block 132 is provided with a peripheral flange 144 overlying the outer surface of the corresponding carriage arm 128. Flange 144 is apertured to receive threaded studs 146,'and carriage arm 128 is provided with threaded apertures 148 to receive the threaded shanks of studs 146. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that studs 146can be removed and bearing block 132 rotated relative to axis 134 to achieve angular displacement of cylinder pivot axis 138 relative to axis 134. Once the angular position has been adjusted. studs 146 are interconnected with carriage arm 128 to retain bearing block 132 in a fixed position relative to the support arm. It will be seen from FIG. 5 that this adjustment enables varying the position of cylinder axis 138 relative to the mandrel axis and to the position of apron pivot axis 120 and, thus, variation of the positional relationship of apron member 96 relative to mandrel 12 and the adjacent wrapper roll 32. In the embodiment illustrated, apron member 96 is actuated by a pair of piston and cylinder units, and the foregoing pivot axis adjustment arrangement is provided for each of the cylinders.

As mentioned earlier, main frame supports each of the carriages for sliding movement toward and away from mandrel 12 to initially position the wrapper rolls and guide members relative to the mandrel and to displace the wrapper rolls and guide members from the mandrel after the initial wraps of metal sheet have been formed on the mandrel. The interrelationship between the frame and carriage is best illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 10, l1 and 13 of the drawing. In this respect, carriage 16 is generally rectangular in cross section and of fabricated steel construction. The carriage includes sidewalls 149 and 151 suitably interconnected with one another and disposed adjacent sides 18 and of frame 10, respectively. Frame 10 and carriage 16 are provided with cooperable guide and support arrangements therebetween, designated generally by numeral 153, whereby the carriage is slidably supported for movement relative to the frame in a direction transverse to the mandrel axis.

In the embodiment illustrated, three air cylinders including cylinder members 39 are provided for imparting reciprocating movement to carriage 16 relative to frame 10. Cylinders 39 are supported relative to frame 10 by means of a steel support tube 150, cylinder support block 152 and side support blocks 154 mounted in opposite sides of the frame. Tube 150 extends between frame sides 18 and 20 and is suitably interconnected therewith such as by welding. Cylinder support block 152 is mounted on tube 150 and includes arms 155 disposed between adjacent ones of the cylinders and having upper ends providing bearing components which pivotally receive support studs 157 extending laterally from diametrically opposide sides of cylinders 39. The outer two cylinders have similar support studs pivotally supported by the corresponding one of the blocks 154 in the frame sidewalls.

Each of the air cylinders 37 includes a piston reciprocable within the corresponding cylinder in well known manner for imparting reciprocating movement to a corresponding piston rod 156. It will be appreciated that suitable connections, not illustrated, are provided together with controls for actuating the air cylinders to achieve reciprocating movement of piston rods 156. The outer ends of piston rods 156 are each interconnected with carriage 16, such as by pin 158, and it will be appreciated the carriage structure includes suitable plate flanges or the like to facilitate such interconnection. The interconnection provides for reciprocating movement of piston rod 156 to impart corresponding reciprocating movement to carriage 16 relative to frame 10.

When the carriage is displaced in the direction toward mandrel 12 it is preferred to provide a stop arrangement for limiting movement of the carriage in this direction and for positioning the wrapper rolls relative to the mandrel prior to the initial wrap forming operation. A preferred stop arrangement for this purpose is illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11 and 16 and includes an adjustable jack unit 160 on each side of frame 10. Each jack unit is mounted on the corresponding side of frame 10 and includes an extendible and retractable jack element 162 positioned within a window or opening 164 provided in the corresponding sidewall of carriage 16. Window 164 provides for the carriage to reciprocate relative to the jack unit, cylinder support pins 157 and pin support blocks 154. The rearward end 165 of window 164 is adapted too engage the other end of jack member 162 to limit movement of carriage 16 in the direction toward mandrel 12.

The two jack units associated with a given one of the carriages are simultaneously adjustable. In this respect, each jack member 162 is adapted to be reciprocated in opposite directions through a suitable gear box 166 and corresponding rotatable shafts 168 depending from the gear boxes. Each of the shafts 168 is operatively associated with a corresponding gear box 170 supported by the frame, and gear boxes 170 are interconnected by a shaft 172 extending therebetween and beneath carriage 16. Each of the gear boxes 170 is provided with a stud shaft 174, and one or the other of the stud shafts is adapted to be connected to a power source such as a motor, not illustrated, for rotating the stud shaft. In a l 1 manner well known, rotation of stud shaft 174 operates through the gear boxes 170, shafts 168 and upper gear boxes 166 to simultaneously impart reciprocating movement to the two jack elements 162. Accordingly, the position of jack elements 162 can be adjusted to achieve the desired initial positioning of the carriage and thus the wrapper rolls and guide members relative to the mandrel. It is to be noted that the axis of each of the jack members 162 extends horizontally through the axis of mandrel 12 and through the horizontal center line of the carriage and wrapper roll assembly thereon. This relationship advantageously reduces or eliminates the imposition of an undesirable moment on the carriage which would be encountered if the stop mechanism were disposed below or above the horizontal center line of the carriage.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, carriage assemblies 16 and the corresponding wrapper roll assemblies 14 are structurally interrelated in a manner which facilitates removal and replacement of thewrapper roll assemblies horizontally from side 20 of main frame 10. The structural interrelationship between the carriages and wrapper roll assemblies is most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5, l2 and 13 of the drawing. In this respect, as mentioned hereinbefore, supporting head 30 of wrapper roll assembly 14 includes a support plate 57, and wrapper roll support arms 58. Head 30- further includes a support plate portion for fixed guide member 34. The latter support plate portion includes walls 59 and61 extending forwardly from plate 57 and between arms 58, an a front wall 63 to which the guide member 34 is removably secured.

Support plate 57 has upper and lower edge surfaces 176 and 178, respectively. As will be seen in FIGSv and 13, surfaces 176 and 178 are inclined such that the planes thereof converge in the direction from side 20 of frame toward side 18 thereof. Preferably, surfaces 176 and 178 are provided with wear plates 177 of bronze or the like. Further. as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, surfaces 176 and 178 are also inclined such that the planes thereof converge toward one another in the direction toward the mandrel axis. Thee forward end of carriage 16 is provided with a support plate 179 extending between sidewalls .149 and 151 of the carriage and plate 179 is provided adjacent its top and bottom edges with parallel recesses 181 adapted to receive upper and lower hardened steel pads 180 and 182, respectively. Pads 180 and 182 have inwardly facing surfaces 184 and 186, which are inclined for cooperative engagement, respectively, with wear plates 177 on surfaces 176 and 178 when the wrapper roll assembly is in assembled relationship with the carriage. Accordingly, the planes of pad surfaces 184 and 186 converge in the direction from sidewall of the frame toward sidewall 18 thereof, and in the direction toward the mandrel axis.

The tapered surface of plate 57 define projecting guides and the tapered surfaces of pads 180 and 182 define recessed guideways facilitating sliding engagement of the wrapper roll assembly relative to the carriage. Bronze wear plates 188 and hardened steel liners 190 may be provided on plates 57 and 179, respectively, to enhance the sliding engagement therebetween during assembly and a tight fit therebetween upon completion of the assembly.

The cooperative tapers on plate 57 and carriage pads 180 and 182 provide for wrapper roll assembly 14 to be withdrawn from the coiling machine in a horizontal direction from side 20 of frame 10. Further, the tapered guides cooperate to support the wrapper roll assembly against displacement vertically relative to the carriage and in a direction from the carriage toward the mandrel. Preferably, the tapers are symmetrical with respect' to a horizontal center line therebetween as this relationship enables interchanging the wrapper roll assemblies with respect to the carriages. It will be appreciated, however, that the desired sliding and interengaging relationship can be achieved with cooperable recessed guideways and projecting guides other than those illustrated and described herein, and 'that such recessed guideways can be provided on the supporting head and the projecting guides on the carriage. Many structural arrangements and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

When the wrapper roll assembly and carriage are in assembled relationship, the converging ends of the cooperable guides and guideways on the carriage and wrapper roll assembly interengage to position the wrapper roll assembly relative to the sides of the carriage. When 50 positioned, the wrapper roll assembly is adapted to be interengaged with the carriage by a releasable locking bolt 192 which is illustrated in detail in FIG. 14. In this respect, end wall 149 of carriage 16 includes a flange portion 196 and the adjacent side of support head 30 of the wrapper roll assembly is provided with an opening 194 in wrapper roll arm 58 and a recess 195 in plate 57. Flange 196 is provided with a recess 198 adapted to receive the shank of a pivotal lock bolt 200. The inner end of bolt 200 is disposed in recess 195 and supported for pivotal movement relativeto the head 30 such as by a pivot pin 202 extending through the bolt. A spring biased finger 204 is supported by head 30 and is biased toward the pivoted end of bolt 200, which pivoted end is provided with a pair of spaced apart recesses 206 and 208. The outer end of bolt 200 is threaded to receive a nut 210.

Nut 210 is adapted to be tightened on bolt 200 to draw head 30 toward sidewall 149 of carriage 16. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the lock bolt assembly 192 is operable to releasably interengage the wrapper roll assembly and carriage and to draw the cooperably tapering guides and guideways of the carriage and head into tight engagement. When the wrapper roll assembly is to be removed from the carriage, nut 210 is either partially or fully removed from bolt 200 and the bolt is pivoted to the broken line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 14. The bolt is retained in the latter position by engagement of finger 204 with recess 208, whereby the bolt is maintained in its inoperable position for removal with the wrapper roll assembly and without interfering with such removal. When the wrapper roll assembly is replaced, the tapered guides and guideways interengage to stop head 30 adjacent end wall 149 of the carriage, bolt 200 is pivoted to the full line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 14, and nut 210 is tightened thereon to draw the wrapper roll assembly and carriage into tight interengagement. Recess 206 receives finger 204 to maintain bolt 200 in the full line position thereof during tightening of nut 210 thereon. It will be appreciated that other releasable interengaging arrangements can be employed as well as modifications of the preferred arrangement described.

When the wrapper roll assembly is released for removal from the carriage, the tight engagement between 

1. A sheet metal coiling mechanism comprising, a mandrel, means supporting said mandrel for rotation about a first axis extending in a given direction, means cooperable with said mandrel to form the initial wraps of a coil of sheet metal to be formed around said mandrel, said cooperable means including a wrapper roll extending in said direction and having opposite ends, wrapper roll support means including and end support member at each of said opposite ends, and means between each end support member and the corresponding one of said opposite ends supporting said opposite ends of said wrapper roll for rotation of said wrapper roll about a second axis extending in said direction, said means supporting said opposite ends for rotation including adjusting means at at least one of said opposite ends to adjust the angular position of said second axis at said one of said opposite ends relative to the corresponding end support member.
 2. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said means supporting said opposite ends for rotation includes beAring means between said one end of said wrapper roll and said corresponding end support member, said bearing means having a third axis extending in said direction and offset from said second axis, and said adjusting means including means interengaging said bearing means and said corresponding end support member for displacement of said bearing means about said third axis.
 3. The mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said bearing means includes a cylindrical bearing block having an opening therethrough to receive said one end of said one wrapper roll, the axis of said block being said third axis, a spherical roller bearing assembly in said opening and disposed about said one end of said wrapper roll to support said one end for rotation relative to said block.
 4. The mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said wrapper roll support means further includes frame means and carriage means, said end support members being mounted on said carriage means, and said carriage means being supported by said frame means for movement transversely of said mandrel axis to position said wrapper roll relative to said mandrel.
 5. The mechanism according to claim 4, and interengaging means between said frame means and carriage means to limit movement of said carriage means in the direction toward said mandrel.
 6. The mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said limiting means is adjustable.
 7. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said means cooperable with said mandrel includes apron means, means supporting said apron means for pivotal movement about a third axis generally parallel to said first axis, and means for pivoting said apron means about said third axis, said means supporting said apron means including means to adjust the position of said third axis relative to said first axis.
 8. The mechanism according to claim 7, wherein said means to pivot said apron means includes fluid actuated piston and cylinder means including cylinder means pivotally interconnected with said means for supporting said apron means and piston means having an outer end pivotally interconnected with said apron means, and means for adjusting the pivot axis of said cylinder means relative to said apron support means.
 9. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said wrapper roll support means further includes carriage means and means supporting said carriage means for movement toward and away from said mandrel in a direction transverse to said first axis, said end support members being mounted on said carriage means, said means supporting said opposite ends for rotation including bearing means at each of said opposite ends of said wrapper roll supporting said wrapper roll for rotation relative to said carriage means about said second axis, and said means to adjust the position of said second axis including means on each of said end support members supporting the corresponding bearing means for independent rotation of said second axis at the corresponding end of said wrapper roll about a third axis offset from said second axis to adjust the position of said corresponding end relative to said mandrel.
 10. The mechanism according to claim 9, wherein said end support members are a pair of arms on said carriage means each disposed adjacent one of said opposite ends of said wrapper roll, said means supporting said bearing means including a cylindrical bearing block rotatably supported by each of said arms, the axis of rotation of said block being said third axis.
 11. The mechanism according to claim 10, and means interconnecting each of said bearing blocks and the corresponding arm for adjusting the angular position of said second axis relative to said third axis.
 12. The mechanism according to claim 10, including means to move said carriage means in said transverse direction, and adjustable means to limit carriage movement in the direction toward said mandrel.
 13. The mechanism according to claim 12, wherein said means cooperable with said mandrel includes apron means mounTed on said carriage means and pivotal about a fourth axis parallel to said third axis, fluid actuated piston and cylinder means including piston means pivotally interconnected with said apron means and cylinder means pivotally interconnected with said carriage means for pivotal movement about a fifth axis parallel to said fourth axis, and corresponding means eccentrically supporting each said fourth and fifth axes for adjustment relative to said carriage means.
 14. A sheet metal coiling mechanism comprising a frame, a mandrel support for rotation relative to said frame about a first axis extending in a given direction, carriage means supported by said frame for sliding movement relative to said mandrel transversely of said first axis, wrapper roll means carried by said carriage means for movement therewith, said wrapper roll means including at least one wrapper roll having opposite ends supported by said carriage means for rotation of said wrapper roll about a second axis extending in said given direction, means to move said carriage to position said wrapper roll relative to said mandrel, and means including independently adjustable eccentric means interconnecting each said opposite ends of said wrapper roll with said carriage means for adjusting the orientation of said second axis relative to said carriage means.
 15. The mechanism according to claim 14, wherein said carriage means includes two carriage assemblies disposed on opposite sides of said first axis and movable transversely thereof, said wrapper roll means including a pair of wrapper rolls supported by each carriage assembly, said pairs of wrapper rolls being in opposed alignment with respect to said first axis.
 16. The mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said means to move said carriage means includes means to move each carriage assembly independent of the other, and means associated with said frame to limit movement of each carriage assembly in the direction toward said mandrel.
 17. The mechanism according to claim 16 including, apron means mounted on each of said carriage assemblies for pivotal movement about a corresponding third axis parallel to said first axis, cylinder and piston means for each apron means and having opposite ends connected one to said carriage assembly and the other to said apron means for pivotal movement respectively about fourth and fifth axes parallel to said third axis, and corresponding means eccentrically supporting said third and fifth axes for adjustment relative to said carriage means.
 18. The mechanism according to claim 14, wherein each said eccentric means includes a bearing sleeve supported by said carriage means for movement about a third axis parallel to and offset from said second axis, said sleeve having an aperture to receive the corresponding end of said wrapper roll, the axis of said aperture being said second axis, and bearing means supporting said corresponding end in said aperture for rotation relative to said sleeve.
 19. The mechanism according to claim 18, and means interconnecting said bearing sleeve and carriage means for selective angular adjustment of said second axis relative to said third axis. 